Device for raising bed-springs.



C. M. SCHWAB.

DEVICE FOR RAISING BED SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED 113.27, 1909.

976,937. Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1909.

Patented Nov.29, 1910.

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C. M. SCHWAB. DEVICE FOR RAISING BED SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1909.

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CHARLES M. SCHWAB, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR RAISING' BED-SPRINGS.

Application filed February 27, 1909.

To all whom it may concern." l

Be it known that CHARLES M. SCHWAB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of @ak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Raising Bed-Springs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ther-eof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in devices for lifting and holding in a raised position the mattress or mattress frame of a bedstead, together with the parts supported thereon, in order to enable a person to conveniently sweep or clean the Hoor beneath the bed, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings :-Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a bedstead and a mattress supported thereon by my improv-ed lifting device, the latter being shown in its raised position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mattress, with parts broken away, to show the construction beneath, and showing the bedstead in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical section of the side rails of the bedstead frame, and a mattress sup` ported thereon, .showing the lifting device when the mattress is in its lowermost or horizontal position. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sections on lines 4 4, 5 5 and .6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged detail sectional views, illustrating the front and rear ends, respectively, of the mattress lifting and supporting device and the relation thereof to the side rails of the bedstead. Fig. 9 is a detail section on line 9-9 of Fig. .7. Fig. 10 is a detail section on line 10-10 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a detail, vertical section on line 11-11 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a similar section on line 12-12 of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a perspective View of a lever constituting part of the lifting device. Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detail similar to Fig. 8, illustrating means for attach` ing another form of mattress to the lifting device. Fig. 15 is a detail section on line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

As shown in the drawings, 15, 15 desig- Speccaton of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910. Serial No. 480,314.

` of a standard bedstead.

18 designates, as a whole, a box mattress that is supported on the bedstead through the medium of my lifting and supporting device. The said box mattress is of familiar form and construction, it comprising a deep central portion 19 that ts between the side rails, and side extensions 20 which extend laterally over the side rails of the bed. In accordance with the usual practice, the mattress is supported from the side rails by the side extensions 20. The lifting device may be readily adapted to all the various forms of box mattresses in use, two forms being herein shown. While it is especially adaptable to and useful in connection with box mattresses, it may be employed to support and lift the more simple and thinner mattresses which are not commercially known as box mattresses.

rlhe specific form of lifting and supporting device herein illustrated comprises two stationary supporting bars 22, 22, arranged one near the head and the other near the foot of the bed and extending between and supported on the side rails, and swinging bars 23, 23 which directly carry the mattress 18 and which are hinged at their rear ends to the stationary bars. The said stationary and swinging bars may be made of L or angle shape in cross-section, and the two bars of each pair lie side by side when the swinging bars are in ltheir lowermost position, as indicated in Figs. 2, 9 and 10.

The fixed bars 22 are suspended from the side rails at a distance below the level of said rails by means of hangers 25, 26. The mattress rests on and is removably attached to the swinging bars, which latter are hinged at their rear ends to swing upwardly at their forward ends. The said hangers 25 and 26 are provided at their upper ends with hooks 28, 29, which engage the flanged side rails of the bedstead and by which the hangers are connected with said rails. The front hangers are provided below said hooks with lugs 30, which engage the undersides of the said rail ianges to prevent the hangers and the forward ends of the bars 22 from rising. Said hangers comprise horizontal attaching members 31, 32 which lie beneath and are bolted or otherwise attached to the Yfront and rear ends, respectively, of the fixed bars 22. The hangers26 are fixedly attached to the rear ends of the bars 22, as by means of the rivets shown, while the hangers 25 are adjustably attached to the forward ends of the bars inA a manner to adjust the bars and hangers to bedsteads o f different widths. For this purpose, the horizontal attaching members 3l of said front hangers are provided with longitudinal slots 33 and said hangers are attached to the front ends of the fixed bars by bolts 34C, which extend downwardly through apertures in said bars and through said slots, and are ,provided at their lower screw-threaded ends with wing nuts 35 arranged to firmly clamp the horizontal members of said hangers to the bars, in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 11. Thus by moving the front hangers inwardly and outwardly ythe fixed bars may be adjusted to bedsteads of varying widths between the front` and rear rails.

In order to adjust the hangers to properly support mattresses of different depths or vertical thickness, Vthe shank portions of said hangers each comprise two relatively adjustable members 86, 37, the former carryino' the hooks 28 and lugs 30 and the latter being formed'integral with and extending upwardly from the horizontal attaching members 3l and 32 of said hangers. The

' said members of the two part shanks of each lhanger are arranged flatwise together and are clamped together' by means of a clamping bolt 38 that extends through an opening in one of the shank members and a registering slot 39 of the vother shank member and is provided witha clamping nut 40 engaging the screw-threaded end thereof. The shank members are formed on their inner or contacting faces with roughened or transversely notched surfaces which serve in connection with the clamping bolts to firmly lockY the shank members in adjusted positions.

The mattress is supported directly on the Lipper sides of said swinging bars 23 and the bars are connected with the mattress frame in such manner that said mattress constitutes a rigid connection between the swii'iging bars. The bars thus connected constitute a swing support for the mattress that is adapted to be swung upwardly about the rear margin of the mattress to bring the mattress to the position shown in Fig. 1. The mattress is fixed to said bars by means Vmade as follows Attached to the horizontal iiange members of the swinging bars28 at the rear ends thereof are short,V upwardly extending lugs 45 which are provided at their upper-.margins with forwardly extending spurs d'6 wiich are adapted for biting engagement with the adjacent vertical rear side face of the mattress frame, in the manner shown in Fig. 8. The said lugs i5 may be formed integral with plates 47 that lie over the horizontal flanges of the swinging hars and are attached thereto by rivets or like fastening means. The said plates i7 are shown as provided with downwardly and rearwardly extending arms 48 that constitute parts of the hinged connection for the swinging bars, as will hereinafter appear. At the forward ends of the swinging bars 23 are swinging levers 50 which are pivoted to said bars by horizontal pins 51 (Figs. 8 and 7). The forward ends of said swinging levers 50 extend beyond the ends of said bars and are provided at -their extended ends with upturned arms 52. Said arms 52 are provided at their upper ends with rearwardly extending holding spurs 53 that are adapted for biting engagement with the forward faces of the vertical front wall of the mattress frame, in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 7. The pivotal connection of said spur levers 50 with the bars permit thespurs to be swung into and ont of engagement with the mattress frame. The said spurs are pressed into engagement with the mattress frame by means of screws 55 which extend upwardly through screwthreaded openings in tail pieces 56 of said levers and are adapted to bear at their up per ends against the lower sides of the horizontal flanged portions of the fixed bars. `When said screws 55 are turned upwardly against said bars they serve to swing the lower or tail ends of the said levers downwardly and to thereby swing the spurs 53 into biting engagement with the mattress frame. The mattress is placed on the swinging bars 28 at a time when the latter occupy their horizontal positions with the spur levers 50 swung downwardly. The said mattress is pressed at its, rear side against the rear holding spurs 4G and thereafter the levers 50 are swung upwardly into the position indicated in Fig. 7, thus iixedly locking the mattress on the swinging rails between said locking spurs. The said lixed and movable locking spurs constitute convenient means for locking a mattress to said swinging bars or support in any construction of mattress having side frames with which the spurs may engage in the general manner shown in Figs. 7 and S.

In the construction of the mattress G0 shown in Fig. 14, wherein the front and rea r side frames are omitted, and wherein the transverse supporting bars G1 for the lower sets of springs are connected together by means of rods G2 extending between and through openings in said spring supporting bars, may provide clips 63 for locking the mattress to the swinging rails 23. The clips 63 are provided between their ends at the sides thereof with hooks 64- which engage over the side margins o f the fianged bars 2?, and tit relatively loosely thereon to constisin tute pivot pieces for the clips to permit the latter to swing vertically. The forward ends of the clips are offset upwardly to engage over adjacent frame rods 62, and said forward offset ends of the clips are pressed down upon the frame rods ('52 by means of screws 66 which extend through and have screw-threaded engagement with the rear ends of the clips and bear at their inner ends against the horizontally flanged bars 23. It will be understood, of course, that one of such locking clips 63 will be .applied at each end of each swinging rail.

rlhe form of mattress shown in Fig. 14 embraces two or more hook-shaped hangers G9 at each side of the mattress which are formed by continuations of the spring supporting bars 61, as shown` In the usual or ordinary use of the mattress, it is supported from the side rails of the bed by said hangers. In applying my lifting and supporting device to such form of mattress, the hangers 25 and 26 of the lower or fixed bars may be adjusted to bring the weight of the mattress and its load upon the hangers 69 when the mattress is in its lowermost position, but so arranged that the hangers 25 and 28 will receive the weight of the mattress when the mattress is tilted upwardly. The hinge devices for the upper swinging bars are so arranged that the initial movement of the rear side of the mattress is a vertical movement of such extent as to clear the mattress frame from the rear side rail 17 of the bedstead during the subsequent tilting movement of the mattress and thus avoid jamming of the mattress, or the bed clothes supported thereon, against the side rail in a manner to interfere with the upward tilting of the mattress and its swinging support.

75, designate links that are pivotally connected at their rear ends with the lower ends of the arms 48 which extend downwardly and rearwardly from the rear ends of the swinging bars 23. Said links extend forwardly from said arms and are provided with downturned forward ends 76. Said downturned ends of the links 75 are connected with the rear ends of spiral springs 77, the forward ends of which springs are engaged with hooks 78, constituting parts of adjusting clips 79 that are adjustably fixed to the lower stationary rails in such manner as to slide endwise thereof. Thus the tension of the springs may be varied. Said clips are locked to the fixed bars 22 by means of screw-threaded clamping screws 80.

82, 82 designate vertically swinging levers which are pivoted at their lower ends to pins 83 carried by brackets 84 depending from the fixed supporting rails 22. Said levers are pivotally connected at their upper ends by means of pins 85 with the links 75 at points near the rear ends of the latter.

88, 88 designate vertically swinging levers which are pivoted to the sides of the fixed bars 22 in rear of the springs 77. The pivotal connections of said levers 88 with the bars 22 embrace laterally extending lugs 89 of said lever and horizontal pivot pins 90 extending through said lugs and the vertical web portions of the lixed bars. Said levers 88 are pivoted at their lower ends to the links 75 at points just in rear of the downturned ends thereof. The levers 88 are pivoted near their upper ends by pins 92 to the forward ends of links 93, which latter links are pivoted at theirl rear ends by pins 95 with the swinging mattress supporting bars at points located some distance from the rear ends of said swinging bars.

Then the mattress and the swinging bars 23 occupy their lowerinost or horizontal positions, the system of levers and links dej scribed assume the positions shown in Fig. 3.

In this position the links 75 and 93 lie generally horizontally with the levers 88 extending forwardly from the links 75, and the levers 82 inclined upwardly and rearwardly .from their points of pivot. At this time the springs 77 are placed under the greatest tension. `When the front side of the mattress and the attached swinging bars or supports are swung upwardly, the levers 82, through the medium of which and the links 75 the swinging mattress supporting bars are pivaoted to the brackets 84, swing forwardly at their upper ends, thus raising the rear side of the mattress away from the rear side rail of the bedstead so that the overhanging or rear side extension of the mattress will be sufficiently raised from the rear side'rail to clear the same as the mattress swings upwardly. The tension of the springs 77 is exerted through the links 75 to swing the levers 82 forwardly and to assist in the upward swinging movement of the mattress. As said links 75 are thus drawn forwardly they act, through the pivoted levers 88, to exert power endwise through the links 92 on the swinging mattress supporting bars at points in advance of the rear ends of said arms and thus assist in the tilting movement of the bars 23 and the mattress supported thereon.

After the mattress and the swinging supporting bars 23 have assumed the position shown in Fig. 1, the tension of the springs is exerted to hold the mattress in this position, said springs acting to pull forwardly on the links 75 and to thrust the links 93 rearwardly, both forces serving to keep the mattress in its lifted position. The levers 88 are provided at their forward or upper ends with laterally turned stop lugs 97 which are arranged to engage the links 93 near the forward ends of the latter in a manner to arrest the backward swinging movement of the mattress and its supporting swinging bars. When the mat-tress is in its uppermost position, it is supported principally from the brackets 84 through the swinging levers 82, which latter act, during the upward tilting movement of the mattress, to preliminarily raise the rear side of the mattress to clear the rear rail of the bedstead. When the mattress is swung downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, the links 93 and 7 5 act through the levers 88 to increase the tension of the springs 7 7 and said springs oppose the downward movement of the mattress until the overweight of the forward side of said mattress overcomes the lifting action of the springs.

If the mattress be lifted at a time when the Vbed clothes are thereon, said bed clothes may be confined thereon by the clamping devices arranged to fit over the margins of the side extensions 20, as shown in Fig. 1. rIlhe form of clamping device therein shown consists of a rod 100 provided at its lower end with a hook 101 arranged to engage under the lower side of the side extension, and a clamping bar 102 which is apertured to fit over the upper end of the rod and to swing over the mattress and the bed clothes thereover. The lever action on said bar, when it is pressed down on the yielding bed clothes, serves to lock the apertured bar to the hook in an obvious manner.

It will be understood that the structural details of the device may be varied within,

the scope of my invention, and I do not limit the invention to the details shown except as hereinafter made the subject 0f specific claims. v Y

I claim as my invention Y 1. A Vdevice for the purpose set forth, comprising a stationary bar provided at it-s ends with` hangers adapted for engagement with the side rails of a bedstead, a swinging bar provided with means for attaching a mattress thereto, and a hinge connection betweeny said bars, comprising upper and lower links pivotally connected at their rear ends to the rear end of said swinging bar, a lever pivoted between its ends to the stationary bar to which the forward ends of said links are pivotally connected, a` supporting lever vpivoted at its upper end to the lower link and at its lower end to a part carried by the stationary bar, and a lifting spring connecting the forward end of the lower link to the stationary bar.

2. A device for the purpose set forth, comprising a stationary bar provided at its ends with means for attaching it to the side rails of a bedstead, a swinging bar provided with means for holding a mattress thereon, and a hinge connection between the rear ends of said bars comprising upper and lower links pivotallyconnected at their rear ends to the rear end of the swinging bar, a vertically swinging lever, to the ends of which the forward ends of said links are connected and having between its ends a lateral pivot arm by which it is pivoted to the stationary bar, a vertically swinging supporting lever pivoted at its upper end to the rear end of the lower link and at its lower end to a part carried by the stationary bar, and a lifting spring connecting the forward end of the lower link with the stationary bar.

8. A device forthe purpose set forth, comprising a stationary bar provided at its ends with means for attaching it to the side rails of a bedstead, a swinging bar provided with means for holding a mattress thereon, and a hinge connection between the rear ends of said bars comprising upper and lower links pivotally connected at their rear ends to the rear end of the swinging bar, a vertically swinging lever, to the ends of which the forward ends of said links are connected and having between its ends a lateral pivot arm by which it is pivoted to the stationary bar, a Avertically swinging supporting lever pivoted at its upper end to the rear end of the lower link and at its lower end to a part carried by the stationary bar, a lifting spring connecting the forward end of the lower link with the stationary bar, and a stop on the upper end of the first mentioned lever arranged to engage the upper link to limit the upward swinging movement of the swinging bar.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afIiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 23rd day of February A. D. 1909.

CHARLES M. SCHWAB.

Titnesses V. Il. HALL, GEORGE R. VVILKINS. 

